latch

/lætʃ/

noun

1.

a fastening for a gate or door that consists of a bar that may be slid or lowered into a groove, hole, etc

2.

a spring-loaded door lock that can be opened by a key from outside

3.

(electronics) Also called latch circuit. a logic circuit that transfers the input states to the output states when signalled, the output thereafter remaining insensitive to changes in input status until signalled again

verb

4.

to fasten, fit, or be fitted with or as if with a latch

Word Origin

Old English læccan to seize, of Germanic origin; related to Greek lazesthai

latch

v.

Old English læccan "to grasp or seize," from Proto-Germanic *lakkijanan. Not found in other Germanic languages; probably from PIE *(s)lagw- "to seize" (see analemma). In its original sense the verb was paralleled in Middle English and then replaced by French import catch (v.). Meaning "to fasten with a latch" is mid-15c. Related: Latched; latching.